


I could lie to you all my days (but you're the one)

by Ravens_World



Category: 9-1-1 (TV), 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Tarlos, Getting Together, Happy endings for all!!, M/M, Mentions of Ana Flores and Eddie's Parents, Tarlos Being Wise and Offering Relationship Advice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-21 16:09:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30024369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ravens_World/pseuds/Ravens_World
Summary: TK put the phone down and turned to Carlos. "They're in Texas right now. Would it be okay if I invited them over?""Of course, yeah."TK beamed at him. "Maybe we can help them see that they're in love each other.""TK," Carlos said pointedly."What?! They are!"
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV) & Carlos Reyes (9-1-1 Lone Star), Evan "Buck" Buckley & TK Strand, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 27
Kudos: 654
Collections: Finished 911 Stories I Love





	I could lie to you all my days (but you're the one)

**Author's Note:**

> I can't believe I actually wrote a crossover fic.  
> I'm terrified. 
> 
> PS, I totally stole a line from the 100 ways to say I love you
> 
> Here it goes! Let me know what you thought!
> 
> Happy Reading

When Eddie entered the kitchen in the station, he was vaugely aware of the members of his team sitting around the table. He made a beeline for the coffee machine, and when he found that the pot was empty, which wasn't a surprise considering how his day was going, he started another one immediately. He may have been a tad bit aggressive, but he figured he earned the right after the crappy night (and morning) that he had had. He braced his hands on the counter, stared at the coffee machine like it held the secrets of the universe, and did his best to ignore everyone around him. 

He forgot how much Buck hated being ignored, though. 

"What'd this thing ever do to you?" 

Eddie huffed, but didn't say anything, merely sparing his best friend a glance. He pulled out his coffee mug, slammed it on the counter top, then poured himself a generous amount. 

"Eddie?"

"Drop it, Buck," he warned through gritted teeth. "I don't want to talk."

"Whoah, okay!" He exclaimed as he backed away a step, hands up in mock surrender. Eddie rolled his eyes at the theatrics, and froze when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "I'm here if change your mind, though."

Guilt crept in, but he pushed it aside and tried to focus on the day ahead. He knew it was selfish, but he wished today's shift would be busy enough that he didn't have time to think.

The alarm blared.  
.

Eddie got his wish in the form of a shift from hell. And by the end of it, he was about ready to collapse.

Buck came into the locker room, and made a beeline to the bench Eddie was sitting on. He didn't say anything, just sat there as Eddie stewed in silence, and though he was loathe to admit it, the man's presence was a comfort. 

"Last night," he started quietly, but was interrupted by Buck shaking his head. 

"It's fine. You still don't want to talk about it?"

The truth was, Eddie didn't know, which honestly seemed to be the theme of his life right now.

"Tell you what, why don't I buy you a drink, huh? You can decide if you want to talk about it or not on the way."

Eddie hesitated. "Christopher-"

"-is with abuela tonight," he finished for him.

Eddie found himself nodding, and Buck treated him to one of his megawatt smiles and patted his back. "We'll head out in ten?"

"Sounds good to me," he agreed with a smile of his own. "Hey, Buck?" He called out. 

Buck walked back a step and gave him an expectant look.

"Thank you."

Buck smiled softly and waved him off. "Haven't done anything yet, Eddie."

Buck couldn't have been more wrong. Throughout the day, he'd been a source of steady, silent support. He'd played interference more than once with their teammates. He'd basically kept Eddie sane for the past 16 hours, and he was more grateful than words could convey.

He changed, and when he was done, he hefted his duffle onto his shoulder and made his way outside. Buck was leaning against the jeep, phone in hand, and as if sensing his eyes on him, Buck looked up and smiled at him. 

Eddie's heart gave a delicate flutter, which he ignored. 

"Hey, are you okay to drive?" Buck asked him when he was a few feet away. 

The thought of having to drive is less than appealing, but it would beat having to worry about arranging for a ride to abuela' tomorrow, so he just nodded.  
.

The bar wasn't crowded, thankfully, and Buck managed to find a booth in the back that offered them plenty of privacy. Buck was the first to sit, and Eddie wasn't surprised when he left the seat that offered a good vantage point of the whole bar to Eddie. It had taken him a while to notice that Buck was doing it, and every time he'd done it since then had filled him with an inexplicable warmth.

When Buck went to order their drinks, Eddie took the time to watch him. 

Buck was leaning on the bar, speaking to the bartender with a bright smile on his face, one which the other man returned tenfold. It took a few seconds for Eddie to realize why it made him uncomfortable, and when he did, he looked away and swallowed thickly. 

They were flirting.

He didn't know why it bothered him so much when it happened, but he just couldn't shake it. Buck was single, and attractive, and he was a firefighter to boot; it was only natural for people to hit on him. But that feeling; the hollowness in the pit of his stomach, the dread he felt every time some asked Buck out and the relief that came after Buck turned them down- it wasn't normal for a friend to feel like that. 

Eddie should be used to it. He'd been ignoring his feelings for such a long time now that he should have it down to an art form. And yet- his heart still beat a little faster when Buck gave him that soft smile that seemed reserved for him, he still felt a little jolt everytime he hugged him or rested an arm around his shoulders. And seeing him with Christopher, seeing the love he had for his son, and the love Christopher had for him in return, it never failed to make him weak. 

There were times, when he was lonely enough, or drunk enough, that he seriously contemplated just telling Buck that he had feelings for him, but something always stopped him. Either Eddie wasn't ready to move on from Shannon, or Buck was focusing on himself, or he was with Ana- the timing just never seemed right. 

A voice whispered in his head that none of those excuses were there anymore, that there was nothing stopping him, but he did what did best and ignored it. 

Just in time, too, because that was the exact moment Buck placed his beer in front of him and took a seat in the chair across. "So? What's the verdict? Are we talking about it, or are we getting drunk?"

Eddie cracked a smile. "A little bit of both?"

Buck drummed his fingers on the table top and waited expectantly. "Ana and I broke up. And Christopher isn't speaking to me."

Buck's face fell. "Okay, which one do you want to talk about first?"

"You know how Christopher had a school trip to the animal shelter next week?"

Buck nodded immediately. Christopher had talked their ears off about the trip the whole week. "Yeah, SPCA?" 

"Yup," Eddie sighed and sipped his beer. "Well, the school rescheduled it. To this Friday."

Buck winced, understanding immediately. "When you're supposed to go to Texas with-" he winced again. "Fuck."

He nodded and pointed his beer bottle in Buck's direction. "Now, I have to go visit my parents, my judgmental parents who already think I'm not a good enough parent to Christopher, with a kid who hates me and without the girlfriend I promised them that they would meet. It's gonna be _so_ fun."

Buck didn't answer, and when Eddie looked up from his beer to his best friend's face, there was a contemplative look on his face. "This ought to be good," he commented.

Buck was confused. "What?" 

"You have an idea."

" _How_?" He asked, bewildered.

Eddie laughed. "You forget that I know you. Now spit it out."

There was a split second of hesitation before he spoke. "Christopher hates flying, right?"

"Yeah," he said slowly.

"Well why don't we drive to El Paso?" 

" _We_?" 

"We can take turns driving, make it fun for him!"

"Buck- I can't-"

"I won't stay with you, of course," he hastened to assure him, and it made Eddie feel guilty because he hadn't meant to imply that he didn't want Buck there with him. Because he did, _desperately_. But the thing was, he didn't want Buck to be scrutinized by his parents, and most importantly, he didn't want him to hear what they would say to Eddie when the topic inevitably turned to him moving back to Texas, especially now that Ana wasn't in the picture anymore. "I'll stay in a hotel."

"Buck, that's not-"

"It'll be a back up plan, man," he told him quietly. "In case things go wrong and you need to get out of there?" 

His heart, the traitor, fluttered in his chest and he swallowed past the lump in his throat. "You- you would do that?"

"Hell yeah." No hesitation whatsoever. 

"Thank you. If it's really okay with you, then yeah, you should come with us." 

Buck beamed, and there went Eddie's heart.

* * *

On the morning of their roadtrip, Buck was at his doorstep on 6 am sharp. Eddie himself had just woken up, and Christopher was still in bed. 

When he opened the door, it was to a beaming Buck holding a carton with three cups; two coffees and a hot choclate, Eddie was sure. He came in, and he was so full of energy that just looking at him made Eddie exhausted. "How are you this awake?" He muttered around a yawn. 

Buck frowned. "That's usually my line. You okay?"

"Yeah, just- couldn't sleep much last night."

"You know you can _not_ go, right?" 

Eddie shook his head. "They've been on my case to visit them for a while now, if I cancel again I'll never hear the end of it." He took the coffee Buck offered him and took a big gulp. He burnt his tongue, but it was worth it. 

His best friend still looked worried. 

"I'll be fine, I promise."

Buck nodded, though he didn't look convinced. "Okay, should I wake Christopher?" 

Eddie rolled his eyes at the excitement and waved him in the direction of his son's room. "Go right ahead."

Buck bounded over and he took the few minutes he had alone to prepare himself for what was going to be a tense weekend. He drank a sip of his coffee, then quietly made his way to his son's room. "- why you're angry, but your dad made a promise to your grandparents and he couldn't just back out, kid."

"I really wanted to go."

"I know. And if I know your father even a little bit, then he's already thinking of ways to make it up to you."

Eddie shook his head. Buck was right; he already had multiple ideas, ones he'd wanted to run by the other man to see which would be best. It still surprised just how much Buck knew him sometimes.

"Alright now, stop pouting, and get up and get dressed. We're going on a road trip!" He didn't know if Buck was actually excited for it, or was putting on an act for Christopher, but he was grateful for him, because his enthusiasm seemed to rub off on his son.  
.

Eddie started off driving, while Buck took over with Christopher, playing games, singing along. Eddie stayed on the sidelines mostly, happy to just observe them, until Buck bullied him into singing along with them.

Five hours into the drive, they stopped at a gas station to load up on snacks and to move their legs a little bit. Buck went off to the bathroom, and Eddie waited, leaning on the car with Christopher beside him.

"Hey, dad?"

Eddie looked down at his son in shock, surprised that he was speaking to him. "Yeah, kid?"

"I'm sorry." He squinted up at him, smiling slightly and with his glasses askew. Eddie adjusted them then leaned down so that they were eye to eye. 

"What for?"

Christopher looked down. "For yelling at you. I didn't mean to."

"Thank you for apologizing. I know you were upset about the trip, but we made a promise to your grandparents and we should always keep our promises right?"

His son nodded and swayed forward, and Eddie accepted the hug readily. He squeezed him tight, eyes closed in relief. And that was when Buck, with suspiciously perfect timing, showed up. 

He gave him a meaningful look, and Buck just shrugged. "You wanna switch now?"

"Nah, I'm good. I've got a few hours left in me."

When he started driving, Buck twisted around in his seat. "What do you want to play now, Christopher?"   
. 

Buck and Christopher insisted they stop to watch the sunset, and Eddie agreed easily. Eddie let them have their fun, taking selfies and goofing off, while he spoke to his parents on the phone. 

The second he hung up, he heard Buck call out to him. "Yeah?"

"Come watch with us!" 

He joined them, and Buck roped him into taking a few more pictures. 

He looked at Buck, who had an arm around Christopher and was talking to him quietly, and at his son, who was listening attentively, and he realized that he had everything he needed right there.  
.

They took a few stops every now and then, and Eddie had contemplated staying at a motel for the night, but Christopher had said he was okay to sleep in the car if it meant they'd get to El Paso faster, so that was what they did. Buck jolted awake suddenly and Eddie spared him a concerned glance. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just a weird dream," came the soft reply. Eddie just hummed. "Want me to take over driving? You look beat."

"Yeah," Eddie answered immediately. He pulled over quickly, and within minutes they were off again. Eddie cleared his throat. This was the perfect time for the conversation he'd been putting off since the bar, since Buck would be too busy watching the road to watch him. 

"Something on your mind?"

Eddie huffed. Maybe he didn't need to be watching him to know. "Ana."

There was no reaction from Buck past a small shift in his posture. "You want to talk about it?" His voice was carefully neutral, not giving anything away, and Eddie was surprised to hear it. "Yeah." A few seconds passed, and he still didn't say anything; he didn't know where to start.

"Eddie?"

"When I showed you Christopher's picture that first time, what was the first thing you saw?"

Buck seemed confused when he took a second to glance at Eddie. "That he was a really cute seven year old?"

Eddie softened, and a small smile stretched his lips. Then he sobered up. "If I asked Ana that same question and she answered honestly, I think her answer would be his CP." Buck sucked in a breath, and if Eddie hadn't been watching him intently, he would've missed the way his face twisted in momentary anger. He didn't say anything though, just kept his eyes on the road. Eddie continued. "She's a good person, and she cares about him, I know that. But it was like all she could see were his limitations. She never wanted him to try new things. Most of the time, she forgot to have fun with him on rides or in the park because she was so worried. Christopher, I think he sensed that and- he started avoiding so many things, Buck." His voice broke on his name, and he tried to reel his emotions back in. "I don't want that for him. I don't want him to withdraw and make his CP rule him."

"Have you talked to her about it?"

Eddie shook his head, then remembered Buck probably wouldn't see it and answered. "We had a fight about it."

"Eddie," he sighed. 

"I know, I know. But- we already covered this before when she was his teacher."

"When you yelled at her?"

He rolled his eyes. "Whose side are you on?"

"Yours," was the immediate answer. "Always. I'm saying this because you seemed to really like her. I'm just saying, maybe don't give up so fast?"

Eddie didn't know what to say to that. He didn't know how to explain why he wasn't fighting for her more, but he wanted Buck to understand him, so he tried. "I don't want to have to coach her on how to treat my son, Buck. I just- I wanted her to know. I wanted her to be someone I can count on to be around Christopher."

Buck sighed. "I get that, but you- not everyone can just know stuff like that, Eddie. She's not a parent, she-"

"You're not either," he interrupted him.

"What?"

"You're not a parent, either, and you always just knew how to treat him without me having to hold your hand."

They were both quiet after that, and Eddie cursed himself and his tiredness for his loose tongue. 

"Yeah, well, not everybody can be as awesome as I am," Buck joked in an attempt to lighten the mood. 

Eddie chuckled. "Nope."  
.

They got to his parents' house at 10 PM, and Eddie hesitated before he got out. "Hey."

Eddie turned to him with his hand on the door handle. "I'm fifteen minutes away. If you need anything-"

"I'll call."

Buck smiled and patted his arm. 

He smiled, and Eddie smiled back. 

Buck helped him bring their stuff inside, while Eddie carried Christopher. When his parents politely asked why he'd accompanied them, Eddie could hear the underlying tension, the suspicion. He was sure Buck did, too, but he didn't show it. Instead, he smiled widely.

"I have a friend here who's been bugging me to come visit. I figured I could keep Eddie company on the drive and save some money, too," he answered easily. 

The answer seemed to satisfy his parents. A minute or two later, he bid them goodnight and Eddie walked him to the door. "Thank you. And sorry about them."

Buck waved him off. "Don't be. I'm good."

"You sure you don't want to take the truck?" 

"Nah, I called for an uber. And I'm getting a rental tomorrow."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Oh, there it is!" He leaned in and hugged him real quick, then bounded over to the car waiting for him. 

When he returned to the living room, his parents were waiting for him. "You said you were bringing Ana?" His mother enquired and he sighed. 

"I was, but-" he should tell them, rip the bandaid off, but he couldn't deal with their disappointment now. "Something came up at work and she couldn't leave." 

"It's the weekend, what could she possibly-" 

"Can we not do this now? I'm tired."

They nodded. 

He took the stairs two at a time, went into the room his son was in and crawled into the bed beside him. He pulled him close, and wondered, not for the first time, if it was a mistake coming down here.

He closed his eyes.

Tomorrow was going to be a long day. 

* * *

Carlos made his way into the pateo, balancing a tray of drinks and snacks for him and TK, only to find his boyfriend reclined into one of the chairs, with his legs up on the chair opposite. He had one of the strings of his green hoodie in his mouth as he scrolled through his phone. 

Carlos rolled his eyes fondly. "I'm starting to feel like a house husband at this point," he called out to him. 

TK just rolled his head towards him and gave him a lazy smile. He shrugged. "If the shoe fits."

He set the tray on the small table and ruffled his hair, knowing it would annoy him. 

TK batted his hand away and let out an indignant 'hey!' as he attempted to tame his hair. Carlos chuckled and leaned down to press a kiss to his head in apology. He made to straighten up but TK didn't let him. Instead, he pulled him down, and Carlos ended up sitting sideways on his lap. "I missed you today."

Carlos smiled and played with the hair at the nape of TK's neck. "I missed you, too."

He kissed him, slow and deep, and wrapped his arms around him when TK leaned his head on his chest, and Carlos relished in the fact that they could just _be_. The past week had been rough, with TK doing mostly 24 hour shifts and Carlos pulling overtime and night shifts, and they'd barely seen each other. It had taken its toll, and Carlos was glad it let up.

TK pulled back to look at him. "What are we watching tonight?" 

He shrugged. "I'm okay with whatever you pick."

TK groaned and let his head fall on the back of the chair. "You _always_ say that! And then you nitpick whatever I choose to death and we end up arguing about the movie instead of watching it."

"I don't do it all the time," he protested.

"It sure feels like it."

He rolled his eyes. "I promise not to point out any inaccuracies I see in whatever action movie you pick today."

TK eyed him suspiciously, then, when he was satisfied, he grinned. "Thank you."

Carlos rolled his eyes, then got up off his lap, and TK made a show of groaning. Carlos huffed, pushing him lightly and smiled when TK snickered. 

"So, what are we watch-"

His phone rang, interrupting him, and he looked down to see it was his father. He waved the phone in TK's direction. "It's dad."

"Say hi for me."

He nodded. 

The calls were something new his dad had been doing lately. Carlos figured he was guilty, but for whatever reason, the calls made Carlos happy. They were never long, just some updates on the family, and his dad asking about the job and TK. 

When he hung up and got back to TK, his boyfriend was smiling at his phone. "What's got you smiling?" He asked curiously, taking the seat next to TK's. 

His boyfriend turned the phone towards him. "That's Buck," he informed him, pointing at the blonde man who had an arm around a kid, both of them smiling widely. Carlos smiled. "Cute," he commented. "Buck is the firefighter from LA, right? The one who stole the firetruck keys."

"Yep." 

"Isn't he a little young to have a nine- or ten- year old kid, though?"

TK smiled. "Not his son." He swiped and another image appeared, this one was of Buck and the kid again, but there was another man in the background, glaring down at his phone, unaware of the camera. "That's his dad." He swiped again and the next picture was of the three of them together, Buck and the man standing close, with barely any space between them, and the kid with his head on his father's arm.

Carlos found himself smiling wider. "Well, Buck has a cute family."

TK snickered. "I'm telling Buck you said that."

Carlos frowned. "Why is that funny?" 

"They're not together," TK told him, and Carlos needed a few seconds to process that. 

"You're serious?"

"Yep." He typed something. "But they're in love. Anybody with eyes can see that." TK put the phone down and turned to Carlos. "They're in Texas right now. Would it be okay if I invited them over?" 

"Of course, yeah."

TK beamed at him. "Maybe we can help them see that they're in love each other." 

"TK," Carlos said pointedly.

"What?! They are!"

* * *

Buck woke up to the sound of his phone buzzing from a text and a few notifications. He squinted one eye open, checked if there were any texts from Eddie first, then went on Instagram. The comments on their pictures were fairly standard, but there were a couple that surprised him. One was from Firefox- Marjan, he reminded himsel. It was simple, said Christopher was cute and mentioned Eddie asking why he looked so grumpy. At first he was confused, but then he looked closely at a picture of him and Christopher and laughed at the expression on Eddie's face in the background. 

The second was from TK, saying basically the same thing, but also asking if they were going to visit since they were so close. 

Buck was sure TK was just saying it to be polite, so he didn't give it any weight. They'd spoken semi-regularly via texts and memes and Instagram comments. He considered TK a friend, but he didn't want to impose or force himself on anyone. Just then, he got a text from the man.

_TK: hey, Buck, you guys coming or what?!_

He stared at the text for the better part of a minute, feeling a bit out of his depth. 

_TK: I'll introduce you to my boyfriend, and his cooking._

Buck had to smile at that and he threw caution to the wind. 

_Buck: yeah, sure. I'll be on my own though_  
_Eddie's visiting his family so I'm free to do whatever today_  
_I'll head out in an hour or two. I'll be there by 7 I think, is that okay?_

The response was immediate. 

_TK: sounds great! See you then._

Buck immediately got up from the bed, took a quick shower, and headed out. He took an uber to the rental place, then drove to Eddie's parents' place. On the way there, he called Eddie. 

"Hey, Buck."

He sounded tired and pissed off, and Buck was immediately on high alert. "Hey, you okay?" 

"Fine, just- I've been here for less than ten hours and I already want to leave."

"I'm sorry."

"Not your fault. Hey, you wanna join us for breakfast?" Eddie didn't give him a chance to answer befor he continued. "Might be the most awkward breakfast you'll ever sit through, but the food is good."

Buck chuckled. "Yeah, I'd love to."

When he got there, he found both Eddie and Christopher waiting for him outside. He made to get out of the car, but one look at Eddie stopped him. He and Christopher made their way to him and entered the car. 

"You guys okay?"

"Yeah, change of plans. We're having breakfast at Lucy's. It's the best."

The smile on his face was fake, but the anger in his eyes told Buck to wait him out, at least until they were alone. At least Christopher didn't seem as upset as his dad was, though he was a little quiet. 

Buck resolved to cheer them up, and in the next hour, that was what he did. He colored with Christopher, kept talking at Eddie until he relaxed and started talking back, until his smile became a little more real. 

On the drive back, Buck awkwardly cleared his throat, not knowing how he should bring up that he was going to Austin. "Hey, Eddie?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm gonna drive down to Austin for the day."

His head swiveled towards Buck and there was a furrow between his brows. "What's in Austin?"

Buck parked the car but no one made a move to get out. 

"TK," he answered, and a weird look passed over Eddie's face, but it was gone so quickly that he couldn't decipher it. "He saw we were in Texas and invited me over."

"That was nice of him," Eddie commented, that forced smile back on his face. 

"Do you need me to stay? Because I will."

Eddie softened. "No, no- no! It's not fair for you to stay cooped up in the hotel. You'll be back tonight?"

He shook his head. "I was thinking, since you're leaving tomorrow, you two can drive to Austin? Meet TK and Carlos, spend the day with them? Then we'll drive back from there?"

Eddie seemed to consider it. "That could work. But what about the car? Don't you have to return it here?"

"Nah, the rental place has an office in Austin, too, I'll drop off the car there."

"Alright then, it's settled." 

He stopped him with a hand on his arm. "You sure you're okay with this?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. We'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah."  
.

Eight hours of non stop driving, two days in a row, left Buck exhausted. That said, he was really excited to see TK again, and to meet Carlos, though he was a bit nervous.

Carlos -and maybe TK? Buck wasn't sure- lived in a condo on the first floor. The building seemed sleek and modern, but there were trees and few potted plants by the door that made it seem more homey. 

He rang the doorbell once and TK opened the door within seconds. "Hey!" He greeted him enthusiastically. "Come on inside. You want anything to drink? Water? We have orange and grape juice." He pulled a face and Buck laughed.

"Water's fine." He followed TK into the kitchen and sat on a stool. "Not a fan of grape juice?" 

"It's nasty. I don't know how Carlos drinks it."

"Speaking of, where is the famous boyfriend?"

"Running a little late at work." 

He grabbed a glass of water for Buck and tilted his head in the direction of the living room. "So, any crazy calls you've been on since we last talked?" 

"A humvee fell out of the sky and onto someone."

TK blinked. " _What_?" He leaned forward, intrigued and Buck nodded and launched into the story. The conversation was light, and Buck found that he was glad he'd taken TK up on his offer. 

They spoke about TK choosing to become a paramedic, about his baby brother, and about Buck's two month old niece. 

"Here she is," he told him proudly, showing off the most recent picture of little Amelia. 

"She's beautiful," TK said with a soft smile. Then he squinted at the picture. "Are her eyes blue?" 

Buck rolled his eyes. "Not _you_ _too_." He smiled. "Eddie seems convinced she's gonna have blue eyes like mine."

TK smirked. "Eddie, huh? How is he?"

Buck raised an eyebrow. "He's fine? He's back in El Paso with his family."

"Meeting the parents already?" He teased him and Buck rolled his eyes. 

"He was supposed to bring his girlfriend, but they broke up and- I guess I'm here for moral support?"

TK nodded, though he seemed unconvinced. The door opened then, and both he and TK stood up. 

Carlos came in, and Buck's first thought was that pictures didn't do him justice. The second was that these two were absolutely in love. TK greeted the man with a short kiss, then dragged him over to where Buck was standing. Introductions were made, and Buck was glad it wasn't as awkward as he thought it would be. Carlos was kind, and friendly, if a little reserved. 

Dinner was just as good as TK promised it would be, and Buck's cheeks hurt from smiling so much. "I can't believe I actually thought you were hitting on me that day."

Carlos' head snapped in his direction, while Buck just chocked on his water. "Dude! I _wasn't_." 

"Well, I know that _now_."

"I'm glad you're finally gonna let that go," he muttered, though it was loud enough for both TK and Carlos to hear. 

"I'm lost," Carlos admitted, looking between the two of them. 

TK grabbed his hand. "When they came over to help us with the wildfires, Buck here told me we should go for drinks if I ever made it down to LA. I thought he was flirting-"

"-which I wasn't, by

the way."

"-and I shot him down. Now, though, I'm pretty convinced he wasn't."

"After I told him about a million times," he informed Carlos, who seemed back to his relaxed self. 

TK rolled his eyes. "What convinced me were your pictures on Instagram."

He pulled a face. "What pictures?"

TK smirked. "You with Eddie and Christopher, duh."

Buck huffed and resisted the urge to throw the napkin at him. "I _hate_ you."

It was well past eleven when he made it to his hotel room, and only then did he notice a text from Eddie, dated one hour ago. 

_E: hey, you busy?_

He dialled without a second thought. 

Eddie picked up on the second ring. " _Buck_?"

"Eddie, hey. Sorry I didn't respond earlier."

" _It's fine, Buck,_ " he sighed. 

Buck's heart sank. "No, it's not. I said I'd be there and I-"

" _Buck, please- not now_."

Buck felt helpless. Eddie sounded worse than he did this morning, and he seemed just _done_. He wondered if he should hang up and give him space, but then reminded himself that Eddie had answered after the second ring, like he'd been waiting for the call. He could've ignored him, but he'd chosen to answer.

"Eddie," he tried again. "Talk to me."

" _We had another fight. It was different this time, Buck. It was bad._ "

Buck sat on the edge of his bed and rubbed his head. "What was it about?" God, how could his parents not see what they were doing to their son? How could they just keep pushing when Eddie was clearly at the end of his rope?"

" _The same things we always fight about; that Christopher needs stability, consistency. That he needs a mother-figure in his life. But some of the things they said-_ "

Buck winced. "I'm sorry, man."

" _I'm tired of this._ "

The admission seemed to take a lot out of him, and he calmed up after it. Buck started talking about his dinner with TK and Carlos, and Eddie made a few noises to indicate he was listening, but otherwise kept quiet. Buck didn't mind.

When he ran out of things to say, Buck meant to say goodnight. He really did. What came out of his mouth, though, was this: "Come here."

Eddie was silent. "I'm serious. Just pack up your stuff and leave. You remember what you said to me when my parents came? You told me that I don't owe them anything. Well, you don't owe your parents anything, either, Eddie."

Eddie laughed. It wasn't mocking, or sarcastic. It seemed genuine, like he was relieved or giddy. 

"Eddie?"

" _I'm already on my way_ ," he admitted. " _We'll be there in four hours, I think."_

Buck let out a relieved breath. "I'll let the guy at the reception know to give you a key when you come."

He didn't protest, didn't say he and Christopher should get another room. His only response was a small, measured, " _okay_."

It made Buck smile.  
.

When Eddie got to the room, he took a minute to take a breath before he entered. He used the key and entered, and Buck sprang up from the bed and came over. He took Christopher wordlessly, and Eddie whispered a thank you to him. He went into the bathroom, splashed water onto his face, and avoided looking into the mirror because he knew he looked like hell. 

Buck was waiting for him outside, leaning on the opposite wall, and Eddie closed the door behind him and mirrored him. "You didn't sleep," he stated, uncomfortable with the silence that descended around them, because he knew it meant Buck was trying to come up with a way to ask him about what happened.

He shrugged. "Couldn't." When Buck's eyes locked onto his, Eddie looked down. "What do you need right now?"

"Sleep," was his reply. 

Buck nodded. He moved to the small closet in the corner and pulled out his duffel. He rummaged in it and pulled out a couple of pieces of clothing. "Here," he handed them to him. When he looked down, he found grey sweat pants and a faded green t-shirt. He looked up at Buck and smiled.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

Eddie took off his shirt, replaced it with the green one, then did the same with his jeans and the sweatpants. They were so used to changing in front of each other that neither seemed to bat an eye.

Only when he was dressed and ready for sleep did he realize there was no where for him to sleep. The bed was a king, but it was a bit on the smaller side. And there was also the added issue of slepping with Buck, even if Christopher was between them. "Come on, Eddie," Buck mumbled, sounding half-asleep already. He patted the empty space beside Christopher, and Eddie threw caution to the wind and joined them. Buck threw his arm over them both, and his hand landed on Eddie's. The touch was soft, but it offered such comfort that Eddie found himself falling asleep just minutes after his head hit the pillow.

* * *

Buck woke up to insistent, loud knocking on his door, and he jolted awake. Eddie and Christopher were still asleep, though Eddie did stir. Buck put a hand on his arm. "It's fine, go back to sleep. The knocking was back now, even louder, and he cursed. He grabbed his phone off the nightstand and his eyes widened when he realized it was 9:35 and that he'd missed breakfast with TK and Carlos. 

He hurried to the door and opened it to find TK on the other side. The other man huffed. "We thought something happened to you, Buck! Why the hell weren't you answering?" 

"Sorry, late night," he mumbled, mind still foggy.

Buck opened the door wider, wordlessly inviting him in, and only then did he realize why that might be a mistake.

"TK-"

" _That's Eddie_!" He whisper-shouted, pointing his finger to the bed, eyes lit up.

"Shhh," Buck hissed. "You'll wake them up."

He wiggled his eyebrows at Buck, and he rolled his eyes. "I _knew_ something was going between you two!"

Buck's eyes widened and he looked at Eddie, making sure he was still asleep, before he pushed TK out towards the door. 

"I can't wait to tell Carlos," TK told him as he let Buck push him out. "Wait, _can_ I tell Carlos?"

"There's nothing to tell, TK," Buck growled, then immediately felt guilty. "Sorry-" 

TK softened. "No, I'm sorry. I was just teasing."

Buck rolled his eyes and tried to lighten the mood. "Seems to be everyone's favorite pastime."

"You're just such an easy target, Buckley."

"Yeah, yeah."

TK paused at the door. "Hey, we good?"

Buck smiled. "Yeah, don't worry about it." He pointed behind him. "We'll be ready in a few."

"Alright, if you're fast, we can still grab some breakfast."   
.

They were ready within fifteen minutes, a record time, and went downstairs in a hurry. Carlos and TK were leaning against a Camaro, and Carlos was laughing at something TK was saying. They both looked so happy and in love that Buck felt a small twinge of jealousy, because he wanted that so much that he could hardly breathe. And he wanted it with the one person he probably couldn't have. 

He pushed the feeling down, and found himself just happy for his friend. Eddie, when he looked at him, was also looking at the couple. The expression on his face was complicated; he was smiling, but he also looked a little sad, and Buck was hit with the realization that his friend must be missing Ana. He swallowed thickly and attempted to focus on introducing Eddie and Christopher to the other men. 

Carlos seemed even friendlier this morning, which Buck took to mean the man was a bit like him; he just needed time to warm up to people. 

Carlos drove, and Eddie followed him in his truck, until they reached a small diner. The server, when she spotted Carlos and TK, lit up and made a beeline for them. She was probably in her fifties, but her sunny smile made her look years younger. "Carlos! TK! I haven't seen you two in a while." She kissed both their cheeks, both of them having to bend down to make it possible, and smiled at her. 

"Hey, Linda."

"And who's this cutie?" 

"I'm Christopher," the kid answered, only a little shy.

"Aww, aren't you the sweetest thing." She patted her pockets and came up with a small wrapped candy. "Here ya go, kid." He went to grab it, but she pulled it back . "But you have to promise to only eat it once you finish your breakfast, you hear?"

Christopher nodded with a lopsided smile, and she scrunched her nose at the adorable sight. Buck didn't blame her. 

She looked at them all with a smile and an uprising look. "Any allergies? Foods you don't eat?" The question was aimed at him, Eddie and Christopher, and they shook their heads mutely.

She nodded, and then was gone.

They grabbed the nearest table and talked idly as they waited for the food. Food which they hadn't even ordered. 

"Yeah," Carlos laughed when he voiced the thought. "That's the thing with Linda. You'll love the food, I promise."

Buck shrugged and the conversation continued

The food came, and Carlos turned out to be right, it was good. 

TK and Carlos continued to be sickeningly in love throughout the meal, holding hands for a few seconds, Carlos hugging TK close, TK stealing some fries off Carlos'plate and other man rolling his eyes but pushing the plate closer to his boyfriend. At one point, TK even finished Carlos's sentence.

Buck was relieved though, when the earlier jealousy didn't return, and all he felt happiness that these two had managed to find each other. 

"Buck, you _missed_ a spot," Christopher told him, and he sounded exasperated.

"Well," he tried to sound offended, but didn't quite manage it. "We can't all be artists like you."

Buck caught Eddie's eye over Christopher's head, and they shared a smile. Eddie mouthed a thank you, and Buck's smile widened. 

TK coughed and Buck startled and looked at him, only to have him raise an eyebrow. He saw Carlos give his boyfriend a fondly exasperated look and TK's response to that was a shrug. Buck just shook his head.

He did have to wonder though, if TK, who had met him twice, knew about his feelings for his best friend, then how could Eddie not know? Or did he know but was choosing to ignore it?

Either way, it was a terrifying thought.

* * *

"They're in love, right?" TK muttered to his boyfriend. "Tell me I'm not seeing things."

"I barely know them, TK. I can't-" TK fixed him with a look that told him he was onto him, and this boyfriend caved. "Fine, yes, I do think there's something there."

"I knew it!"

"TK, don't get involved, okay? Let them figure it out on their own."

"But look at them," he pointed at the Buck, Eddie and Christopher, who had were waiting for them outside the diner. They were standing with practically no space between them, speaking in low tones. Eddie was looking at Buck with possibly the softest look ever, and Buck, who must be blind, didn't seem to notice, too busy talking and laughing with Christopher. His friend had his arm around wrapped loosely around Christopher's neck, and they were both rocking from side to side, a wide smile on both their faces. "Look at them, Carlos," TK whined. "They're like a little family."

Carlos did look, and from his sigh, TK knew he was seeing the same thing. "We should stay out of it," he told him, like the responsible adult he was.

He burrowed into his boyfriend's embrace. "Okay."

"Uh-huh," was Carlos' response; he was obviously unconvinced.

He was probably right not to be. 

* * *

They walked around for a little bit, and Carlos was at a loss as to where to take their guests. He didn't really know what places a nine year old would enjoy going to. "Would it be okay if we went to a park?" 

Eddie, who had been walking beside him, eyes on Buck and Christopher, startled and looked at him. "Huh?"

"Or the Aquarium! Would he like that?" 

Eddie hesitated, but then he nodded with a small smile. "Christopher loves aquariums."

"That's great!" He jogged ahead, to where TK, Buck and Christopher were walking together.

"What do you all say we go to the aquarium?"

Christopher cheered, and he found himself laughing along with Buck and TK at the kid's antics.  
.

The Aquarium was packed with people, and Carlos regretted suggesting this place, but he kept it to himself. TK had dragged Buck ahead, presumably to talk about him and Eddie and Carlos nearly rolled his eyes out of his head at the thought. Eddie was walking beside him, and a couple of steps ahead of them, Christopher was walking on his own. 

"How was the family? Buck said you were visiting them in El Paso?" He was trying to find an easy subject to talk about, but he'd obviously missed his mark, because Eddie seemed to tense and withdraw a little bit.

"They're family," was his answer. Carlos wisely took that answer for what it was and looked for a safer subject.

 _Christopher_.

"Your kid is adorable," he told him with a smile. "Nine, right?"

"Yup. Ten in a couple of months." Eddie got the far away look in his eyes as he looked onto his son and smiled. 

"Seems like a sweet kid."

"He is. _Sometimes_ ," Eddie joked.

Carlos chuckled, was about to say something else, when the smile on Eddie's face changed, became somehow softer, more wistful. He looked at Christopher, and was surprised to see Buck and TK had doubled back, and Buck was crouched down in front of Christopher, speaking enthusiastically.

 _Well_ , he thought, _guess that explained the look._

"You and Buck seem close," he commented, and he could just imagine the smug look on TK's face when he told him he'd caved.

"He's my best friend." Eddie then chuckled. "Christopher's, too."

Carlos smiled. "Seems like he really loves him."

There was that soft smile again. "The feeling is mutual."

"I can tell." They continue walking. "Being in LA alone must have been hard. It's good that you have him."

Eddie seemed to jolt. "We're not- Buck and I aren't together."

Carlos winced. "I didn't mean it like that."

Eddie seemed to pull himself together, though there was a hint of red dusting his cheeks now and Carlos was now 100% sure that TK was right.

They were in love with each other.

"Sorry if I overstepped-"

"You didn't." He assured him. "It's just- it's complicated."

"If you need to talk about it, we've got time," he offered kindly. "Talking to a near stranger is easier sometimes."

"I wouldn't know where to start."

Eddie was obviously uncomfortable with this conversation, so Carlos switched gears.

Carlos pushed against his own discomfort. "Can I offer you some advice?" Eddie nodded. " _Talk_ to him."

Eddie looked at him like he'd grown two heads and Carlos laughed.

"I get how scary that can be. Me and TK didn't really get off to the best start, you know. He wanted something, _I_ wanted something else, and we didn't really talk about any of it for some time. It was really messy at first; We weren't on the same page, we kept going back and forth and for once in my life, I was doing the chasing. But- I just knew he was worth it, so, I swallowed my pride, and I talked to him." He looked at TK, who was talking to Christopher with a sweet smile on his face and grinned. "It was the best decision I ever made."

Eddie smiled, small and sad, but said nothing

It was a clear sign to change the subject and Carlos immediately backed off. Just in time, too, because TK, Buck and Christopher were headed their way. 

Christopher began talking to his father immediately, and even though they'd been right behind them and had seen everything the kid was gushing about, Eddie let him talk, listening attentively and asking all the right questions. Carlos had to smile at that, and his smile widened when Buck put a hand on Eddie's shoulder and they seemed to have a whole conversation silently through looks alone.

TK sidled up to him and laced their fingers together. "You okay?"

He pressed a kiss to the side of his head. "I'm okay."

"Good." Then he turned to the boy. "Hey, Christopher, are you ready to see the shark?!"

The boy's eyes widened. "There's a shark?"

"It's a baby shark, and it's super cute."

"Dad, Buck, let's go," he said impatiently, taking both their hands and dragging them, with TK and Carlos leading the way.

It took about an hour, but they eventually made it out of the aquarium. He took them to an ice cream shop, and TK and Buck volunteered to grab ice creams for everyone. 

" _So_ , Christopher," Carlos began, leaning forward on his elbows. "What was your favorite sea creature?"

* * *

"Buck, are you seriously not going to tell him?"

Buck just fixed him with a look and nodded vigorously. 

"You look at each other like you-"

"Look, TK, it's _complicated_."

"How?"

"First of all, he's made no indication that he's anything but _straight_. Second, we work together. And third, he _just_ got out of a relationship. It's not the right time."

TK shook his head and Buck huffed. "What?"

"There's never a right time, Buck. You're scared, and until you stop being scared, there will never _be_ a right time. Pick a time, and make it the right time." He said nothing. "Look, I'm sorry if I'm being too pushy. You just remind me of me, a year ago."

Buck looked intrigued. "What do you mean?"

"I'd just gotten out of a two year relationship that ended badly. I was a mess, and then I met Carlos. We hooked up _a day_ after we met, and the next time he invited me over, he'd made _dinner_. I lost it. I wasn't ready, and it wasn't the _right time_ ," he emphasized the words, and Buck gave him a stern look that had him smiling. "He never gave up on me, though, even when I deserved it. And my point is, if it had been up to me? I wouldn have never been ready. If he hadn't talked to me, if he hadn't been patient with me? We might not be here right now." He leaned on the counter and looked over to where his boyfriend was sitting, a small smile on his face as he spoke to Christopher. He smiled helplessly. "Do I think we took things a little too fast? Maybe. But- we're happy right now, and I wouldn't give that up for anything."

"I'm happy for you," Buck told him quietly.

TK smiled. "Thank you. For what it's worth, I genuinely hope things work out for you two."

"I hope so, too."  
.

"It was good to see you again, man." 

TK smiled and pulled Buck into a hug. "You, too." Eddie was shaking his boyfriend's hand, both of them smiling, so he turned back to Buck. "Don't be a stranger."

" _Hey_ , your turn this time."

He laughed. "Yeah, I'll see what I can do."

"Eddie," TK shook the man's hand, a friendly smile on his face, then leaned down so that he was eye to eye with Christopher. "It was very nice to meet you, Christopher."

"You, too, TK," the kid said shyly, and he had to resist the urge to pinch his cheeks. When he straightened up, he caught Carlos looking at him with a soft look. He extended his hand, and Carlos took it. 

Carlos offered his free hand to Buck. "It was nice to finally meet you, Buck."

"Ditto," Buck said cheerfully. "Thanks for showing us around."

"No problem."

Eddie got in the driver's seat, and Buck helped Christopher in before he got in himself. The three waved at them, before they drove off. Once the car was out of sight, he leaned back into Carlos' chest and huffed. "They're both frustratingly oblivious, and they definitely deserve each other," TK muttered.

Carlos laughed. "Come on, let's go."

"They _are_ ," he insisted.

"I know," Carlos said simply. "Something tells me they're gonna be okay, though."  
.

The drive back to LA was mostly silent, each of them lost in their own world.

Eddie couldn't stop replaying Carlos' words in his head. 

He understood where the man was coming from, and he was right, for the most part, but he and Buck were very different. The other man was someone he relied on completely, and as much as he tried to deny it, what he had with Buck was different from his relationship with the rest of the 118. He loved them all, sure, but- and this was proven by that period of time where Buck wasn't around during the lawsuit- Buck's presence in his life had somehow become such an important part that the mere idea of jeopardizing what they had now scared the hell out of him. 

Halfway through their 24 hours drive, Eddie felt a hand on his forearm. When he looked over at him, Buck looked concerned. "Pull over, let me drive for a while?"

Eddie nodded wordlessly and they switched places. "Get some sleep, Eddie," he told him quietly.

He scrubbed a hand down his face and sighed. "Don't think I can."

" _Try_?" He pleaded. A hand settled on his shoulder, its weight comforting. 

Buck's hand slid from his shoulder to his elbow, and to Eddie's surprise, he kept it there. 

Sleep, against all odds, came easy.

* * *

  
About a month after their visit to Texas, there was a knock on his door. 

Buck opened the door to find Eddie standing there with a bag of takeout and a six pack. He raised an eyebrow and opened the door wider to let him in. 

"Eddie?"

He put everything on the table and faced him, wiping his hands on his jeans. "Yeah?" 

Buck took a good look at him. Eddie seemed restless, nervous, but also weirdly settled? He walked closer. "Something on your mind?" 

Eddie was still starting at him, and Buck was beginning to worry. "Are you having a stroke?" 

Eddie let out a laugh. "What? No, why would you think that?" 

He shrugged and eyed him closely. "You've been staring at me since you came in."

Eddie came to stand in front of him, and he was close; a lot closer than Buck was used to. The way he was looking at him, eyes soft and fond and another emotion Buck wasn't willing to put into words, wasn't fair. 

Buck had become a lot more attuned to the way Eddie looked at him ever since TK told him, while they were on the phone, that Eddie looked at him the way Carlos looked at TK. He'd dismissed it, until his friend had told him to watch how he was with their other friends and then decide. It had been hard not to notice after that 

A week later, and he still couldn't wrap his mind around the possibility that Eddie might actually love him back. He'd actually gathered his courage to possibly tell Eddie about his feelings yesterday when the other man had dropped a bomb on him. 

Buck's eyes widened. "You're supposed to be on a date," he blurted out. 

Eddie shrugged. "I was."

"It's _barely_ 8."

"The food was fancy, and terrible. The company wasn't much better." He backed away a bit, and Buck breathed out, unaware he'd been holding his breath. He watched him spread the food containers on the table, stunned and confused.

"And now you're _here_ ," he said slowly, trying to wrap his mind around what was happening. 

"Better food." He looked up at him and smiled; the smile that made the corners of his eyes crinkle. "Better company."

They ate the food, drank their beer, and spoke easily. But there was still an undercurrent of tension that Buck was pretty sure he wasn't imagining.

"Something's going on with you," Buck told him when there was a lull in their conversation.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't put my finger on it, but you're acting _different_." 

Eddie eyed him closely, then leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. Buck found himself unconsciously mirroring him. "There's something I've been-" he took a breath and seemed to try again. "You- I don't say it much, but you're important- to me and to Christopher."

The words meant a lot, and though he'd known, in the back of his mind that he mattered to them, it was a whole other thing to hear it said so clearly. He nodded, unsure he could speak around the lump in his throat. 

"So, you have to know, I- I agonized over this. I backed out so many times I lost count."

"You're starting to freak me _out_ , Eddie."

He laughed breathlessly. "Join the club." And there was that look again.

Buck, all at once, realized what this was. With his heart attempting to beat its way out of his chest, he tentatively put his hand on Eddie's wrist. "You can tell me _anything_."

"I want to be with you," he let out the words like an exhale. 

Buck, even though he'd expected it, still felt like the air had been punched out of him. He stared at Eddie, the man he loved, who had just told him that he wanted to be with _him_ , and tried to remember how to breathe. 

"It's okay if you don't feel the same, Buck. I just couldn't keep it in anymore-" he trailed off when Buck finally shook himself out of the shock and shook his head. Eddie's eyes followed his movements as he pushed his chair back, as he stood up and as he rounded the table until he was standing beside his chair. 

Buck put his hand on the back of the chair and pushed, once and then a second time. Eddie seemed to get it then, and he pushed it back all the way. Buck pulled him up and close, and felt the breath of relief he let out tickled his neck. He looked at him, and Eddie looked right back, eyes straying to Buck's lips every few seconds. He didn't know how long they stood like that, hovering, _waiting_. Buck inched closer, and Eddie met him halfway in a kiss that was as tentative as it was cautious. The second kiss was still soft, but it was much more than what the first had been. Eddie's arms came up around him, and his fingers curled in Buck's shirt. Buck parted his lips and felt him washing over like a wave of warmth, unfurling all his senses as the taste of him nearly silenced all his thoughts. 

This, the fact that he was kissing Eddie, that he had him in his arms, felt like a fever dream. Any time now, Buck was going to wake up and find himself alone. 

As if hearing his thoughts, Eddie's hands went up and he framed his face, bringing him closer still, filling his senses with him, and only him.

When they broke apart, Eddie didn't move far. He rested his head on Buck's and closed his eyes. The warm puffs of his too fast breaths were a comfort and Buck never wanted to let go.

And he wanted more.

He wanted _everything_.

And judging from the tight hold Eddie had on him, he felt the same.

* * *

**_Epilogue_**

_3 Months Later_

_"Holy shit!"_

Carlos nearly cut off his finger with the knife he was using when he heard his boyfriend's exclamation. He let the knife clatter to the board and went in search of TK, only to have him appear in front of him.

"Holy _shit_ , I called _it._ I _so_ called it."

"Called what, TK?" Carlos asked, exasperated. His boyfriend shoved his phone in his face, and he huffed and took it from him. 

It was opened to Instagram, and the picture was of Buck and Eddie. He didn't get the significance. Buck had posted plenty of pictures like this before. And hat was when he noticed it. The two were sitting at a table, and, in plain sight, they were holding hands. 

He smiled. "Good for them. _See?_ I told you they'd figure it out."

"Yeah, you did." 

TK's smile was so wide, and he looked so genuinely happy, that Carlos couldn't help but pull him into his arms. 

TK snatched his phone out of his hands, but didn't move from his arms. "I'm gonna demand details."

" _Boundries_ , TK."

"Pfft, we nearly stole a firetruck together, there are no boundaries anymore."

Carlos shook his head with a chuckle. "Unbelievable," he muttered as he headed back to the kitchen. 

"They've been together for three months! And he _didn't tell me_ ," TK shouted, outraged. 

Carlos chuckled and stirred the sauce. A pair of arms hugged him from behind. "Apparently he _forgot_ to tell me," TK complained, mumbling the words into his shoulders. "How could he just forget? He knew I was waiting for the two of them to get it together." 

"Maybe it was payback for your persistent meddling?"

TK pinched his side and Carlos nearly burnt his hand on the pot when he shied away from the touch. 

"Hey!" 

"You're one to talk. A little birdie told me you gave Eddie a talk, too."

He turned off the burner and turned in his boyfriend's arms. "I just gave him a nudge," he admitted. "You, on the other hand," he trailed off, raising an eyebrow.

TK reeled back in mock offense. "I resent that." He poked him in the chest. "I'll have you know, it comes from a place of love."

Carlos rolled his eyes. "It's still meddling."

TK was about to retort, but Carlos just kissed him. They got lost in the kiss, TK's hands wandering under his shirt. 

When he pulled back, TK beamed up at him and he thought that was the end of it. He let him go and turned to grab a couple of plates. 

"This requires revenge, though."

Carlos groaned. "Tell you what, when we get engaged, you can keep it from him for three months." 

There was total silence from TK, and that was when Carlos realized what he'd said. His eyes widened and he turned to TK, an apology already forming on his lips. 

TK didn't seem spooked like Carlos expected, though. He seemed surprised, yes, but there was a smile growing on his lips that had Carlos breathing out in relief. "TK-"

"Did you mean it?"

He didn't hesitate. "I do." He walked closer to TK, who looked to be on the verge of tears. "Hey, come here," he muttered as he brought his arms around his boyfriend in a tight hug. TK didn't cry but he did cling to him. "I'm sorry if it's too soon, but you have to know by now that I want forever with you, Ty."

"I want forever with you, too."

Carlos leaned down, pressed a kiss to his neck and pulled him into another hug. 

"I love you _so much_ , Carlos," he uttered into his ear, voice chocked up.

"I love you, too." He pulled back and smiled. TK smiled back, brighter than the sun, and Carlos couldn't help but kiss him again. 


End file.
